Sterilization of items used in medical procedures is vital to minimizing the spread of harmful and infectious microbes to patients. Typically, the items used in medical procedures are wrapped with a sterilization wrap made of a gas permeable material or placed in a reusable vented rigid sterilization container. These sterilization wraps or sterilization containers preserve sterility of the items contained therein, as well as the interior portion of these wraps or containers, after the wraps or containers and their respective contents have been channeled through a sterilization process. During a typical sterilization process, the sterilization wraps or vented rigid sterilization containers are placed into a sterilization chamber, and the gas permeable material in the sterilization wrap or vents within the rigid sterilization container allow a gas sterilant to contact the item(s) to be sterilized in the sterilization container.
Examples of current gas sterilization procedures include, gas plasma sterilization, steam sterilization, ethylene oxide sterilization, hydrogen peroxide sterilization, and ozone sterilization. Other sterilization procedures, such as irradiation have also been used.
Although utilization of sterilization wrap and/or use of vented rigid reusable sterilization containers are generally effective, there are certain disadvantages associated with each of these items.
Sterilization wraps are made of a relatively thin, inexpensive, flexible material and have generally low initial cost. However, items to be sterilized are often placed within a metal sterilization tray prior to wrapping the items with sterilization wrap. These sterilization trays have pointed edges or other features that may concentrate forces and generate very small tears or snags if the wrap contacts these features. When wrapped trays are transported on carts or stacked prior to sterilization or after sterilization, other sources of very small tears or breaches in the barrier may develop in the wrap due to pressure or impact. These tears may allow bacteria or other harmful substances to contaminate the items which results in added expense because the items to be sterilized will need to re-handled and re-sterilized at an additional cost.
An additional issue with the use of sterilization wraps is a lack of visibility. Because sterilization wraps generally are not made of transparent material, the medical professional utilizing it cannot visually inspect the items contained therein for content or for assurance that the sterilization procedure has been completed. This can lead to a medical professional opening the wrong sterilization tray during a procedure and/or lead to lack of confidence that the tray is truly sterilized. As a result, trays and articles may require unnecessary re-handling and re-sterilization which wastes both economic and time resources.
With regard to reusable vented rigid sterilization containers, although generally effective, these containers must be thoroughly maintained and cleaned between uses so that they may be re-used. In contrast, sterilization wrap is typically discarded after a single use. Reusable sterilization containers require significant amounts of hospital economic and time resources because staffing levels often need to be increased in order to process and maintain these rigid containers for re-use. Additionally, the longer the containers are in use, the less confidence clinicians have in the sterilization efficacy of the containers. Ultimately, these containers must be repaired, reconditioned, or discarded.
Thus, there remains a need in the art for sterilization containers that are economical provide ease of visual inspection, and that impart confidence in sterility among clinicians.